According to the preliminary report submitted to the Lottery Commission, Oregon's lottery sports betting revenue in August increased by 26%, reaching $56.2 million. This is the highest revenue ever for the lottery, one-third higher than the record set in 2019.
Oregon Lottery spokesperson Chuck Bauman stated that the high profits are very important for the purpose of the lottery. "The mission of the lottery is to earn the maximum profit for the state," he said, "but it must correspond with the public interest." The record-breaking prize amount was achieved amidst reevaluations of whether the lottery preys on the poor.
Oregon heavily relies on lottery revenue. The lottery is the second largest source of state government funds after income tax. Lottery revenues are used to fund public schools, state park renovations, outdoor schools, and some veterans' services.
Legislators also like to use lottery bonds to fund projects in their districts, such as the $12 million obtained by Senate President Peter Courtney (Democrat - Salem) in 2017 for the renovation of the Salem YMCA.
